Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for the generation of electricity combined with the further treatment of sewage from a sewage treatment plant. In one form of the invention a stream of compressed air/contaminated air (108, 110) is passed to a mixing device (18) where it is mixed with a stream of introduced fuel gas (112). The mixture is combusted and the resultant gases are fed to the expansion chamber (6) of a gas turbine which drives an alternator (10) thus generating electricity. Rather than simply dissipate them to atmosphere, the gases (126) are utilized in the heating and disinfection of sewage (148) from an initial sewage treatment plant. The thus disinfected sewage (150) passes to a pressure vessel (12) wherein it encounters and saturates the stream of compressed air/contaminated air (108, 110) passing to the mixing device (18).

Abstract: A process for the gasification of carbonaceous fuels, for, inter alia, the production of chemicals and/or the generation of power is described, characterised in that there is employed, as starting material or part thereof, coal in the form of an aqueous slurry, the aqueous (water) content of the said slurry being at least 55 to 80% by weight.

Abstract: Where as-mined coal or a washed coal derived therefrom is burned in a pulverized coal-fired boiler, improvements both in the utilization of the overall fuel values of the as-mined coal and in the operating efficiency of the boiler are obtained by installing a fluid bed combustor in the same combustion chamber as the pulverized fuel burner system of the boiler, and preferably below the burner system, and supplying as the fuel to the combustor a fuel comprising coal washery tailings preferably mixed with high ash solid washery residue.

Abstract: In the process for the recovery of e.g. LPG or NGL and sales gas from a gaseous hydrocarbon feed 11 by partially condensing the feed in heat exchanger 1 at superatmospheric pressure, separating the condensate from the uncondensed gas in gas/liquid separator 2, rectifying the uncondensed gas to produce the sales gas and stripping the condensate to produce the LPG or NGL, substantially power savings are obtained if the rectification is effected in a reflux exchanger 103 and the stripping is effected in a separate distillation column 203.

Abstract: The overall conversion of coal to synthesis gas by pressurized counter-current gasification is improved by steam reforming the methane values in the gas and heating the steam reformer by means of a fluidized bed combustor fuelled by the coal fines which are too small to be employed in the gasification step. Coal can be crushed to increase the proportion of fines and/or conditions for gasifications and/or steam reforming varied so as to consume lump coal and fines in the desired ratio. The product gas may be used for methanol synthesis.

Abstract: The tendency toward ice or solid hydrate formation during cooling of a light hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture such as LPG or NGL for storage or transport at sub-zero temperatures is eliminated by mixing it with aqueous methanol solution in a mixer 5, cooling the mixture in cooler 8 and thereafter separating the hydrocarbon and aqueous phase in a separator 10, the solution being chosen to be substantially insoluble in the hydrocarbon phase and freeze below the temperature to which the mixture is cooled, and at least part of the aqueous phase being recycled by pump 17 to the mixer 5 for re-use with methanol being added as required to restore its concentration in the recycling liquor towards that of the initial aqueous solution and some of the recycling liquor being removed as required to restore the quantity of circulating liquor towards its initial level.

Abstract: In the production of methanol from a methane-containing gaseous feedstock such as natural gas by steam reforming the gas and treating the reformate to produce methanol by inter-reaction of the hydrogen and oxides of carbon in the reformate, the use of part of the feedstock to fire the reformer is avoided by immersing the reformer reactor tubes in a fluidized bed heated by the combustion of a low grade, solid, fossil-based fuel such as coal, lignite, oil shale or asphaltic residues from oil refining. By pressurizing the fluidized bed, all the power requirements of the process can be obtained by expansion of the flue gas, which can also provide the CO.sub.2 balance for the methanol synthesis, and a compressor can be omitted.

Abstract: An economic route to transport fuels from low grade feedstocks containing organic polycyclic components and mineral and/or metallic components comprises separating the feedstock into (a) a residue containing fuel values and substantially all of the mineral and metallic components and (b) a liquid hydrocarbon fraction; hydrogenating the liquid hydrocarbon fraction; providing hydrogen for the hydrogenation by steam reforming methane-containing gas recovered from the hydrogenated material; and providing the heat for the steam reforming by immersing the reformer reactor tubes in a fluidized bed heated by combustion of residue from the separation step. If the fluidized bed is pressurized, the process can be made substantially self-contained with all the heat and power requirements for steam generation and feedstock compression for hydrogenation and steam reforming being recovered from the flue gas.

Abstract: Dehydration of a gaseous hydrocarbon mixture containing water, using methanol as the dehydration agent, and recovery of a condensed fraction of said mixture can be achieved simultaneously and with improved use of the methanol and improved separation of the mixture, and in apparatus which can be employed on an installation such as a tanker ship which is liable to movement and/or tilting, by chilling a gaseous composition comprising the water-containing mixture and methanol in passageway 18 of a reflux exchanger 6 in which condensed liquids flow downwards in direct contact with the rising gas and are collected in a gas/liquid separator 4 from which a condensed hydrocarbon phase and an aqueous phase can be recovered separately; dehydrated gas being recovered from the top of the passageway.

Abstract: The efficiency of a methanol-fueled gas turbine is improved by at least partially dissociating the methanol prior to combustion in the presence of a methanol dissociation catalyst and providing at least a part and preferably all of the energy for the dissociation from the heat in the hot gases of combustion. This heat is sufficient to dissociate more of the methanol than is required for the combustion so that a process gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen is available from the process as well as power from the turbine. Self-contained processes for the production of liquid hydrogen, for the production of steel from iron ore and for the conjoint production of electrical power and methane gas are described.

Abstract: An improvement in the separation of a multi-component mixture, especially a well head stream, into gaseous and liquid phases by multi-component flash separation at reducing pressures, comprises recycling at least a part of the gaseous fraction recovered from a stage after the first stage to a preceding stage, and preferably the immediately preceding stage, to mix with the liquid phase which is separated in said preceding stage and at substantially the pressure of said preceding stage. This (a) increases the gas/liquid ratio in each stage, the amount of liquid recovered from the last stage and the proportion of medium-boiling components therein; (b) results in more gas being available from the higher pressure stages and (c) yields gases having narrower boiling ranges. Three separation stages are preferred and pipeline gas, crude LPG and a local fuel gas to supply the energy requirements of the separation can be derived from the gaseous fractions recovered from the separation stages.

Abstract: Substantially pure methane and ethylene are supplied economically from a transportable liquefied methane-ethylene-ethane mixture by a two-stage distillation at superatmospheric pressure wherein the refrigeration for the first stage reflux may be supplied entirely from sensible cold of the compressed mixture and the second stage reflux is obtained by heat exchange with first stage reboil so that the only power requirement is for compressing the mixture. The mixture is conveniently obtained by combining a cracker gas fraction with a natural gas fraction.